Bloodsoaked - 1994 - The Omen 7"

Bloodsoaked were a death metal band from Mexico City.  This 7", from 1994, was their final release.  The music on this EP is contemporary with the era.  The guitar plays some mid-paced chords which are spiced up with some double-time chugging and some more atmospheric parts.  Some of the playing reminds me of a restrained OBITUARY without the temolo abuse.  The solos work well in the songs, but without a clear rhythm guitar part, all that's left to drive the song are the drums.  The bass is nearly non-existant - there is a short bass run in Buried Under My Skin, but it is difficult to hear in the mix.  The drums sound crisp, but the double bass is buried too low in the mix.  The drummer plays some nice fills in Rising.  The vocals are tortured moans cutting through the music.
Overall, this is a good release with enough variety between the songs to keep my attention.  The production is a little weak, but that might just be due to their geographical location.  I won't hold that against them.

Ghäst / Highgate - 2012 - Split 7"

If you looked at the cover of this 7" and thought 'black metal' you would only be partially correct.  Both bands peform blackened doom, but they approach that goal from totally different directions.  From Quebec comes Ghäst.  Their song starts with droning low-end chords, slow crashes on the cymbals and rising electronics.  Vocals are harsh and buried beneath the ambience.  Near the end of the track, the feedback grows and envelopes all of the sounds with a thick sense of self-destruction.  Highgate must have crawled out of the thickest swamps Kentucky has to offer.  They start out playing agonized sludge with harsh black metal vocals.  Halfway through the track, they speed things up a little bit, before they launch into a chaotic blackened assault.  Then it's back to the original tempo as the band lurks back into the swamp that spawned them. 
The packaging is beautiful to look it, as is the blood splattered vinyl.  There is a total pressing of 500 copies, so don't miss out on this agonizing slab of blackened doom.

Seven Sisters Of Sleep / Ilsa - 2013 - Split 7"

One of the recent special releases for Record Store Day 2013.  This slab of blood red wax features two rising bands tipping their hats to past masters in the field of Heavy.  First up is SEVEN SISTERS OF SLEEP with their cover of HELLHAMMER's Messiah.  Their take is dirtier and more tortured than the original.  Midway through the song, the SEVEN SISTERS OF SLEEP break the song down to a sludgey pace before shifting back into tempo.
The flipside sees Maryland's ILSA try their hand at BOLT THROWER's IVth Crusade.  How can a song that was so heavy be made even heavier?  ILSA has a guitar tone that sounds like a crusty nuclear bomb exploding, which is perfect for this song.  The caustic vocals slither through the mix and are buried just right.
The packaging is incredible.  The artwork, by Szymon Siech, draws on 70s horror films and is superbly executed.  This even comes with a massive 24"x36" movie poster that will look right at home next to your Witchfinder General poster.
Both bands deliver worthy recordings.  Only 666 copies, so pick yours up soon!

Absurd Attitude - 2000 - North 7"

This was released by Fight Records, so I was expecting manic Finnish thrash.  I was surprised to find some crust similar to AMEBIX or ANTISECT.  ABSURD ATTITUDE were from Tampere, Finland, but the sound is very late-80's Britain.  The guitar has a nice watery sound, but is able to switch over to a more metallic riff when necessary.  The rhythm section lays down a very solid foundation with a tribal edge.  There are two singers that have a similar tone, instead of going for the EXTREME NOISE TERROR-style low grunts and high-pitched screams.  The recording sounds nice with the guitars and vocals dominating the mix.  The drums are still prominent, but the cymbals are a little muted, which makes for a better sound.  There is an unlisted track at the end of the B-side.  It's a mid-paced instrumental with the occasional reverbed scream.  This is definitely worth picking up if you can find it.  This was ABSURD ATTITUDE's final release.  I will definitely look for their earlier material.

NOTA / Brother Inferior - 1997 - Split 7"

This split was released by Havoc Records and features two bands from two different eras of Tulsa, Oklahoma's hardcore history.  NONE OF THE ABOVE, also known as N.O.T.A., formed circa 1979 and were one of the first, if not the first, hardcore bands from the state.  They were active in the early 80s and broke up in 1987, but have reformed and recorded sporadically since then.  Their two songs here remind me of MDC.  The music is early hardcore: mid-paced with sing-along choruses and the occasional lead.  The lyrics use humor to combat life's problems, like boredom and Nazi skinheads.

BROTHER INFERIOR formed in 1994 and toured and released the bulk of their material in 1997 when this EP was released.  They broke up a few years later.  This music is faster with a slight thrash edge, but that never detracts from the melodies in the songs.  It's refreshing to hear some clean hardcore without any metal influences.  The instruments are nicely separated, and all sound very clear in the mix.  I'll bet the choruses went over great live, as they are easy for a crowd of punks to sing along to.  BROTHER INFERIOR's lyrics are less humorous, but more political.  The only downside to their songs is the use of the Braveheart sample in Freedom's Sons.  Mel Gibson's Scottish accent sounds horrible.

Pontius Pilate - 2004 - Thy Kingdom.com 7"

PONTIUS PILATE hailed from the Pacific Northwest.  They existed for a few short years before breaking up.  One member moved east to Minneapolis and played in PROVOKED.  This was their final recording. 

Their sound is more Seattle than Portland.  There is none of the Motorhead worship so prevalent in the Portland bands.  Instead, PONTIUS PILATE has a lot of mid-range guitar and fast riffs.  The vocals are screamed and almost hysterical, but light years away from being considered emo.  When the vocals are at their fastest, I am reminded of ANTISCHISM.  Both short songs have some incredibly tight, vicious riffing driven by anger and frustration.  The last song includes a violin.  It weaves a melancholy counterpoint into the almost epic angry thrash.  In fact, one of PONTIUS PILATE's strong points is their ability to blend crusty speed with sparser, slower melodies.

The recording has all the instruments balanced, though there could be a bit more bass guitar.  The distorted crunch of the guitars never interferes with the drums or vocals.  Even the fastest track, File Error, never turns into a messy blur.

The lyrics deal with personal and cultural dehumanization.  Track 2, File Error, is particularly relevant today; it deals with people living their lives on the Internet to the exclusion of their human needs.

This is definitely worth tracking down.

Final Massakre - 1999 - The Bells Of Hell Toll The Final Chime 7″

The back of the sleeve proclaims this record to be ‘Full Metal Jacket D-Beat Raw Punk’.  That means this record must be from Portland, OR,  the land of D-Beat Raw Punk.  This short-lived group featured Frank (from ATROCIOUS MADNESS and LEBENDEN TOTEN) on vocals, Brian Hopper (from DETESTATION, HELLSHOCK, etc) on guitar, and Kelly (RESIST, DETESTATION, etc) on drums.  This EP, courtesy of Tribal War Records, features 6 tracks, all played at a furious pace – the longest track is 1:21.  What you get is a solid D-Beat, manic guitar riffs, and some gasoline-throated vocals.
My only criticism of the sound is that the drums and vocals dominate too much.  I like my crust to have a thicker bass guitar sound, but on here the bass only stands out during a break on Death From Below.  There are times when Brian Hopper plays some furious lead breaks, but they are barely heard in the mix.  Only the lead break on We Stand In Silence gets a solid volume boost.  Nonetheless, this is worthy of being in your collection.  FINAL MASSAKRE only issued a few releases and they’re all worth tracking down.